Of Fauns and Men
by Minor God
Summary: The whole of Narnia seems taken with Lucy's new suitor, and so is she. Only Tumnus feels something's not right...
1. Chapter 1

Summary: The whole of Narnia is taken with Queen Lucy's new suitor, and so is she. Only Tumnus feels something's not right...

Disclaimer: C.S. Lewis and I are two different people.

A/N: Please could someone go to my post in the Fun with Fauns forum, I must know the answer!

If you read my other story 'My Queen', there is a new chapter.

"Prince Lucian of Carron," read out the dwarf from his scrolls.

As the prince ascended onto the platform before the four thrones to kiss Queen Lucy's hand, the applause became suddenly even more raucous than before. He bowed gratefully and as he did, he marvellous curly blonde hair flopped about his face. He gave a white, dimpled smile.

Having kissed the Queen's hand, he stepped down.

"He's a goodun, Lu," whispered Kind Edmund, into his sister's ear.

Lucy nodded.

"Prince Harold of Krentia," read the dwarf. An awkward-looking youth, possibly even younger than Lucy (who was 19) stumbled up. The clapping subsided a little.

When all five most recent candidates for Lucy's husband were lined up before her throne, an awed hush fell: all the Narnian guests waiting to see if finally, they would witness a royal wedding.

Only one person in the hall did not wish for this. That person was the faun Tumnus, and he did not wish for this for the very simple reason that he himself wished for Lucy. He wore an empty smile, though, and pretended to give her an encouraging nod.

With a girlish smile, Lucy gave an obvious shrug, indicating that she desired better acquaintance of them before she decided.

There were scattered cheers, but nothing enthusiastic – 12 suitors had come before Lucy in the last month and none of them had been 'the one'. Lucy was very enamoured of the theory of 'the one'.

It seemed odd that King Peter seemed more keen to marry off Lucy than his other siblings, but it was probably because he thought she could best secure the next generation of one country's alliance with Narnia, whereas Susan may have to marry someone who was already King, rather than a Prince.

Having made her decision, Lucy retired with her brothers and sister, to great applause and fanfare.

­­­­­­­­­­

When they were in their private hall, the other three turned to Lucy.

"Did you see that Lucian of Carron?" asked Susan eagerly. "He looked so charming!"

Lucy nodded happily. "But I must speak to him first," she insisted.

"Fine, fine!" assured Peter, finally believing that he may soon have married her off. "Carron has such great naval armies, though!" he added.

"Looks a great huntsman," said Edmund, who enjoyed hunting.

"But we must be fair," said Lucy. "What of the others?"

There was silence.

"Well," admitted Peter, finally, "they seemed jolly decent, but probably not completely apt... That last was far too young, I thought. The second, far too old, and the first looked a little boorish for you, Lucy."

Lucy nodded, seeming a little sad at talking about them behind their backs. It seemed so cruel. But as long as she could speak to them, she supposed it was fair.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Later, Tumnus clip-clopped into Lucy's private study, where he found her lying on a recliner, in the light of the waning sun, seeming to bring her hair and skin to life with its warm red glow. He edged toward her as silently as he could, wishing that he could get close enough without waking her, just to touch her gentle skin.

But no, just as he was reaching out to her soft pink cheek, she woke and gasped. She frowned bemusedly as she sat up and looked at the embarrassed faun.

"Why, hello, Mr Tumnus," she said, almost as a question.

Tumnus thought fast. "Oh, my dear!" he cried. "For a moment there, you looked so still... I was worried!"

Lucy's look of concern melted into one of affection – but merely friendly affection. "Oh, no, Mr Tumnus, I was just tired." With a heart-melting smile, she indicated for him to sit beside her. He did. "Now, what did you think of my new suitors?"

This was the question Tumnus had dreaded. "I," he began. "I suppose the choice is yours... But do not rush it!" he added, urgently. "You must be sure you love the man you marry, Lucy."

Tumnus had said that line with such delicate sadness that for a moment, Lucy wondered if maybe her old friend had finally found love. It had seemed to her for years that the faun thought such things unimportant, but not so long ago, that had changed. Now it seemed to her that he was always immersed in some distant, bittersweet thoughts. When he looked into her eyes, it seemed so passive and thoughtful that she could not help but feel his heart was elsewhere.

She could not know that in fact, he was so deeply in love with her that he had to swallow his emotions whole in her presence, for fear that he would act out his love, ruining their friendship, and never be permitted to see her again.

It was a thought that haunted his dreams.

­­

A/N: Please, please review! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

For quite some time, Lucy could be seen wandering about the Cair Paravel court with her new suitors.

In the case of Boris, Prince of Borindale, she looked a little timid, in the case of Warrick, Prince of Rollindene, she looked sympathetic, the same in the case of Harold of Krentia. But in the case of Lucian of Carron, the sun kissed her hair so beautifully and her radiant smile could rival its light and beauty.

All this, Tumnus the Faun had watched from his window overlooking the courtyard.

He was fairly recently instated as Chief Consultant to the Queen Lucy, a position which he suspected she had dreamed up at her latest birthday party when she was first allowed wine.

He had a generous salary and his own quarters at Cair Paravel, and yet, he wished he had turned the job down. At the time it had started, it seemed so wonderful – all those days with his beloved, helping her and sharing her thoughts. But now it was all questions of the suitors.

'Who do you think is the best dancer?'

'Who do you think would be the best father?'

'Should he be fellow king, or prince consort?'

Every question felt like it cut into the poor faun, mocking the love that was now his very being. The days wore on, his happy job now seeming a mere chore and his home unwelcoming, because it was so near the man who very soon would probably steal his dear Lucy.

Luican of Carron.

Watching the happy bounce of his beautiful curls glinting in the sun, and the enormous smile on his full lips and beautiful teeth, Tumnus frowned. It didn't seem right, somehow. After all these years, no-one knew better than Tumnus the sort of smiles that a love for Lucy could draw from you – and those smiles seemed wrong. The loveliness of the young Queen should knock the breath from you as you smile and soften your eyes with longing. Lucian seemed so... focused.

But as ever, his first obligation was to Queen Lucy, who was herself, now marking Lucian as the favourite.

And, he thought through a heavy sigh, he hoped they'd be very happy.

But seeing the way they slowed their walking and suddenly met each other eyes, their palms meet and their lips softly touch, Mr Tumnus began to cry.

When he met the young Queen in her chamber that afternoon, his contented smile was back in place.

Lucy viewed her old friend's face happily. It sometimes worried her at the moment that Tumnus seemed quite sad. She sent for tea and biscuits (something Queen Lucy's court was always generous with) and sat him down, ready to share her happy news.

"Lucian may actually be The One!" she squeaked joyfully.

In that way that one's features sometimes do when horribly threatened, by way of survival mode, Tumnus's face merely arranged itself into a pale reflection of Lucy's smile. "I'm so happy!" he said faintly. "So happy for you."

Lucy gave him a quick and friendly hug – the only hug she ever allowed him and smiled in her beautiful sincere way.

The sadness also was that she believed she had done something to make the faun happy. In reality, he suddenly felt as though a thin crack was forming in his heart, readying itself for the break.

He drank his tea and ate his biscuits in silence, listening half-heartedly to Lucy's out-loud thoughts about what her wedding dress might be like.

Eventually, though, she stopped. She looked at him with caring eyes and touched his arm with her gentle hand. "My dear Mr Tumnus, what is the matter? You've looked so solemn these past few days, aren't you happy?"

Tumnus blinked. "Happy? Yes, my Queen," he lied. "I have my job and my home and my friends and all gloriously close-together, why should I not be happy? I suppose I am tired with all that's going on in court."

"Ah," Lucy smiled. "Well, don't let me keep you from your bed if you need to sleep."

I would rather stay with you, Tumnus thought, but with a neat bow, he departed.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

On his way back to his quarters, Tumnus came across King Peter, who greeted him cheerfully. They walked together down the corridor for some time.

"Tell me, then," said Peter, soon "what do you think of the new suitors I have found for my sister?"

Tumnus thought: it seemed reasonable to him that Peter would in all events want to protect his little sister. And if he were not too forceful in his words, it would probably be fine. "My king, I think anything that benefits her valiant majesty and Narnia is truly to be encouraged, but I am sad to think that she may marry someone... unworthy. Someone such as Lucian of Carron."

The King stopped suddenly, and looked at Tumnus with a new expression in his eyes. "You don't approve of the Prince Lucian?" he asked, seeming incredulous. "Why? Do you think I'd deliberately pick my young sister an ill-fitted husband?"

Tumnus could feel the horror leaking into his face. "No, no! Oh, I didn't mean that at all! What I meant to say was..."

"Perhaps that _you_ would make a more fitting guardian of my sister than I would?" snapped Peter, suddenly looking quite vicious.

Tumnus could hardly believe it. "Oh, my king, please forgive me!" he cried.

At that, Peter's anger melted into irritableness. "All right," he said. "But please, Tumnus, do not spoil this love for my sister." And with that, the High King was gone.

The poor little faun sighed heavily. What was happening today that should make everyone seem so in love with Lucian and so angry with him? He thought back sadly to the oh-so-recent days when he was a favourite of all their majesties. In fact, they had been only interrupted by the arrival of the new suitors.

So wrapped up was Mr Tumnus in his thoughts that he was startled to find that he had been knocked to the ground by someone walking into him. Startled, he looked up, only to see that it was, indeed, Lucian. Of Carron.

The prince gazed at the sprawled-out faun with a look of confused nonchalance. "Oh," he said, in a plummy, languid voice. "Are you Lucy's help?"

Tumnus fought his way to his hoofs. "I am her majesty's chief consultant," he said, with an air of pride.

"Mm, so if you see her, tell her to come on up to my chamber, will you? I feel lucky." With that and a loathsome chuckle, he was gone.

Tumnus the faun drew himself up to his full height. Though it was not impressive and even if it had been, there was no-one there to impress, it was a statement of the faun's to himself. It was his own vow to save Narnia and its monarchy – including his dearest Queen – from the evil lure of the Prince Lucian.

That's all for now folks!

Partaking, as I have, of the reading of Macbeth,

It should sadden truly my heart to know that mine own mind

Was lured down that self-same path

Hither and dither,

Away from its own true purpose...

Er, I mean, I'm just reading Shakespear for homework, sorry if it affects my writing.

Please review!


	3. A Horrible Revelation

Fauns are not known for their strategic rescue plans. Try as Tumnus might, his plans to save Narnia's court from the evil lure of the foreign prince seemed to be coming to nothing. He had reported all his suspicions to a particularly loquacious and gregarious robin, who had flown all over Narnia, spreading the urgent message that Queen Lucy's wedding decisions were disastrous, whereupon Lucy received, by post, a lot of advice on choosing the perfect wedding dress for her figure.

He had tried merely standing in the corridor, telling anyone who passed that Lucian of Carron was evil, whereupon Lucy had told him kindly to take a holiday.

He had tried giving menacing, knowing looks to Lucian himself, whereupon Lucian had told Lucy to tell him again kindly to take another holiday. A Long holiday, he added.

It was the morning of the day on which Lucy was to announce what had come of her courting the three princes. Everyone knew what was coming, but that only made them more excited. Lucy was radiating loveliness and maturity, becoming more and more oblivious to how miserable Tumnus was every day. There was no doubt about it – love was upon her. She had spoken precious little about her anxiously-awaiting princes, but it was certainly not the pock-faced Borris of Borrindale that made her laugh like a nightingale.

Anyway, on the morning of this fateful day, when all of Narnia was swelling like a proud parent about to marry off its little girl, Tumnus flung himself at the mercy of Queen Susan.

"Please, dear Queen, don't let this happen!" he almost sobbed.

Susan looked at him, pensively sad. "Now, Mr Tumnus, please get up," she said.

Tumnus realised that in his bid, he had fallen to his knees dramatically. He stood up, sheepishly.

"I know that this must be hard for you." Susan crossed to her bedroom window and surveyed the changing Narnia beneath her. "This isn't the land you were born in, and though you are happy with the changes, you want to preserve many things as they were in your memory."

"Erm-"

Susan smiled empathetically. "And one of those things is doubtless the little girl you saved from the evil, and the cold."

"Er, no, please, madame…"

"Bu Tumnus!" Susan crossed the room and took his hands gently and looked into his frustrated eyes with her own placid and patient. "Lucy will always be your friend, and shall always have that place in her heart. Don't think that you're loosing a friend, but that you're getting another one! Lucian will be ever so glad to include you in his activities, I am sure"

Tumnus spluttered, as the Queen, smiling radiantly, led him to the door.

"And just think, you will bear the rings at the wedding! You must be the first faun in history to do that!"

"Yes but-"

Then the faun had the disturbing feeling that a door had just been closed in his face. Oh, he realised, it had.

Suddenly feeling very alone, Tumnus made a decision.

That night, at the banquet, when Lucy would announce Prince Lucian as her future husband, Tumnus would confront him before the entire court.

As I say, Fauns are not known for their strategic planning.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Tumnus blushed as he entered Lucy's private library. No matter how often she told him he could enter without knocking, he always worried about finding her in a compromising situation.

There she stood, hair glistening in the sun, her delicate skin blurred by the light like some divine vision, her eyes just mirrors of the skies. The faun breathed a hallow sigh as he saw her.

Lucy began to look a little puzzled. "Mr Tumnus, dear, are you all right? You look faint."

The faun felt a little disgruntled at the description of his expression, which he had thought to be hopelessly-in-love-with-you. But he shook his head. "Lucy," he said gravely, "am I to take it that you have picked your final suitor and future husband?"

Lucy's beautiful smile returned, and stabbed at the poor faun. "I have!" She took him warmly by the hands and swung them to imaginary wedding music. "Furthermore, I have decided that he is fit to rule not only as prince consort, but King of Narnia!"

Suddenly, a terrible, cold feeling took Tumnus's stomach and twisted it.

He had to stop this.

Lucy was the last monarch to walk up the centre of the Great Hall and take her seat that night. It seemed that the applause came from all over Narnia.

When they subdued, King Peter got to his feet. "Dear friends!" he greeted them, to yet more applause, "tonight, is the fifth attempt for me to find a fitting husband for my dear sister Lucy. The suitors this time, are Prince Harold of Krentia!" The awkward-looking boy waved nervously to the court. "Borris of Borindale!" He didn't even look up from his plate. "Arthur of Ladinland!" Was polishing his spectacles. "And, Lucian of Carron!" Even Peter stopped to clap at this interval, as Lucian gave the court a winning smile. "Well, Lucy" (Peter was positively brimming) have you come to a decision?"

As Lucy stood, there were expectant chuckles.

Tumnus saw Lucian finish his drink, and ready himself to join Lucy on the dais.

"My friends," said Lucy, her smile more beautiful and painful to behold than ever, "I am please to tell you that I have now met my true love!"

Behind her, Susan clapped her hands over her beaming mouth.

"I would like to invite you all to my wedding, to Lucian of Carron!" The beautiful sky blue eyes travelled across the room, resting in the icey pools of Lucian's own.

A fleeting vision flashed into Tumnus's mind: he and Lucy standing in the warm summer sun, blossom caught in her hair. He brushed it out, drawing her head closer to his…

Gone. Lucy was wearing the same smile, but it was not he in her arms… it was a smarmy foreign git. Why would no-one stop this? The faun looked about wildly – everyone was smiling. He had to stop this. He jumped to his hoofs. "NO!" His cry silenced the whole palace. All eyes were upon him, and he faltered.


End file.
